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[av_heading heading=’WE’RE ONLY HUMAN – PECO SP firm on stand vs franchise renewal ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is not keen on retracting its resolution opposing the renewal of Panay Electric Company’s (PECO) franchise even if it gave the city’s sole power distribution utility a chance to present its side yesterday.
At one point in his presentation, PECO vice president Randy Pastolero acknowledged that the company may have erroneously billed consumers.
“May question gid na ya sa billing because we are employing human beings. Human as we are, we commit mistakes,” said Pastolero.
Today, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Legislative Franchises will be hearing PECO’s application for renewal of franchise for 25 more years. The hearing would be held at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City although the SP would have wanted it done here so that consumers could express their sentiments on PECO.
“So far ang nabaton namon nga complaints are around 90 plus,” said Pastolero.
According to Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, the SP presiding officer, the city council’s stand on PECO remained the same.
Two of the reasons the SP cited in its resolution “vehemently opposing” the renewal of PECO’s franchise were poor customer complaints service and erroneous and inconsistent electric meter readings.
Councilor Joshua Alim chided Pastolero for seemingly playing down the complaints against PECO.
“Kon insakto ang serbisyo ninyo, wala ako naka-gather sang sobra 25,000 signatures (for a petition against the renewal of your franchise),” said Alim.
Pastolero said errors in billing could be rectified.
“This is what we are doing right now. Every single complaint gina sabat namon. We have nothing against sa pagsabat sang complaints,” he stressed.
Alim, one of the conveners of the #NoToPeco25 movement, criticized PECO for snubbing several previous invitations of the SP to answer consumers’ complaints.
“Ang amon stand is waay kami nag-appear diri before because tanan nga complaints can be settled individually, those brought to our attention and to the attention of the Energy Regulatory Commission,” explained Pastolero.
He denied that PECO was disrespectful of the city council, saying they wrote the SP a letter explaining the power distribution utility’s position.
Pastolero reminded the SP that PECO is a partner in Iloilo City’s progress.
PECO has been monopolizing power distribution in this city for over 90 years. Its franchise is expiring in 2019.
In the coming years, said Pastolero, PECO would be improving the capacity of its power substations, construct a new building to accommodate more customers, institute an online feedback mechanism, and install elevated metering centers in areas of high power pilferage to prevent theft and outages due to theft.
In today’s congressional hearing on PECO’s application for franchise renewal, three councilors have confirmed their attendance – Councilor R Leone Gerochi, the chairperson of the SP committee on public utilities, Alim and Councilor Plaridel Nava, also a convener of the #NoToPeco25 movement.
The Committee on Legislative Franchises also invited Mayor Jose Espinosa III who had expressed concern that the nonrenewal of PECO’s franchise could destabilize the power supply and disrupt the city’s progress.
In a position paper to be submitted to the committee, Alim and Nava also cited unannounced power outages in the city, slow PECO action on consumers’ complaints, and the arrogance of PECO personnel.
The two councilors would be asking the committee to “recommend a scheme to be undertaken by the national government in order to protect the interest and welfare of the Iloilo City electric consumers.”
In a separate position paper, Gerochi would press for an end of PECO monopoly in the power distribution service by opening it up to other players “preferably run by a cooperative…”
Should the committee recommend the renewal of PECO’s franchise, Gerochi said, “it should only be for a short period of time, such as five years, to allow an orderly and lawful transition of the operations of PECO to new electric distributors.”
In its resolution approved last week, the SP called on the national government to take over PECO’s operation utility “until a qualified distributor comes in.”/PN
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